Carbon tax could be 'disaster' for Islanders, NDP says

Provincial NDP Leader Mike Redmond says something has to be done to combat climate change, but has concerns with how the province will spend money collected from a carbon tax.

The federal government will impose a carbon tax on any province that doesn't have some form of carbon pricing in place by 2018. The province says it will implement a carbon tax, but the money won't be returned in the form of tax breaks. Instead, it will go to climate change adaptation and mitigation.

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"The premier fails to call this tax revenue neutral and it will be a disaster for middle and low income Islanders who are already taxed into poverty or in dire consequences," Redmond said.

The NDP believes a more effective carbon reduction strategy would involve government funding for heat pumps, solar panels, electric cars, and expansion of public transportation across the Island, Redmond said.

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